


Holding On for Love

by sad_heretic



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canada, Alternate Universe - War, Angst and Feels, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 18:41:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8907661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sad_heretic/pseuds/sad_heretic
Summary: Will and Hannibal are living comfortably in the city of Wakhim (pronounced Wake-em), Brixtenburgh -- A small country in place of what was Canada's Quebec City, close to the boarder of Maine, USA. With the city being right on the water, there's a split between two sides connected by the Crimson Isle Bridge. Every Saturday Will and Hanni spend the day together. One day, while Will heads to the butcher, Hannibal crosses the bridge to the south-east side of Wakhim to buy some wine and other ingredients for the meal. Both parties try to meet back home at noon so they can have the rest of the day to themselves, but Will begins to realize something is wrong when on one Saturday evening, his beloved husband is 45 minutes late. He starts getting worried after not being able to get any calls through to Hannibal, and he sees on the news that war has broken out between the Rebels and the Forged Order. Will and Hannibal must find ways to keep their love alive while also trying to survive a brutal world war.





	

<< \- November 29th, 2018 – 9:23 A.M. - >>

The scent of maple syrup and cinnamon could be smelled wafting around the house.  
A rerun episode of a standard cable procedural crime show echoes from downstairs, and a mild warmth of light shines down on Hannibal’s bare legs as he rolls over. Noticing his lover’s absence, Hannibal scoots out of bed and heads to the shower. He could see Will through the bathroom window; outside feeding the dogs. Hannibal couldn’t help smiling to himself. He was finally happy.

While getting dressed, Hannibal receives a call from his boss at the university.  
He answered, “Hello?”, and was bombarded with and anxious female voice.  
“Good morning, hope I didn’t wake you. It’s me Meredith--listen I was wondering if you could fill in for my night class tonight at 7:30 until 8:50?  
Something came up with my husband... Something about the nearby base calling him back into active duty? I honestly have no idea what this is all about but I was just wondering if you could cover for me?”

As much as Hannibal valued his friends, he valued Will a lot more. Saturdays are reserved for their alone time since they each work hectic jobs. Hannibal was a History professor at Brixtenburgh University, and Will was an art curator at the Cedarwood Bluffs Art Museum.

Saturdays are their only mutual free day, and so they take that precious time to relax and enjoy each other’s company. 

“Meredith, I’m sorry but I’ll have to decline. Today is a very special day and I already have plans. But, I’m sure you can ask Eric. Eric Palmer, do you know him?”

Seemingly impatient, Meredith replied, “Yeah yeah Eric, I know him I guess I’ll give him a call—Thanks Dr.Lecter I’ve got to go no-“. The call was cut off, but Hannibal said what he needed to.

Freedom.

As Will comes through the back door Hannibal trots downstairs and follows the smell of breakfast into the kitchen. Despite how delicious the food smelled though, he couldn’t help but to embrace the man he loved more than anything in the world. He grabbed Will gently from behind and greeted him with a kiss on his cheek. 

“Good morning.” The younger man replied chuckling. Will spun around and kissed Hannibal’s nose.

“I hope you enjoyed sleeping in, we’ve got a long day ahead.”  
Will hinted as he looked Hannibal in the eyes.

“Mhmm.” Hannibal replied. “A long day of watching TV and drinking wine, and maybe a little dancing?”  
“Dancing sounds wonderful.” Will replied softly, smiling at the ground.

The two men sit down and begin eating their meal, courtesy of sir William.  
On the menu was scrambled eggs, sausage, coffee, and French toast with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

“I almost feel bad eating this. You should’ve woken me up so we could cook together. I wouldn’t have mind.” Hannibal said, almost pouting. 

“I wanted to let you rest. It seems you’ve been working harder than usual so you deserved a break” Will replied lovingly. 

Hannibal nodded.  
“Speaking of which, Meredith called in a few minutes ago asking me to cover her night class tonight. I of course said ‘no’. Today’s our day.”

Will laughed, “Isn’t she the mother of the boy that egged your car on Halloween?”

“Yep, that’s the one. Her son hated me because I gave him a C+ instead of a B-.  
I tell my students that I don’t give them a grade, they earn it themselves. Anyways, she sounded very strange when she called.” Hannibal said, concerned. 

“Did she say why she couldn’t make it to class?” Will asked, genuinely curious.

“Well as you may know, her husband was in the military until a couple of years ago. But the base suddenly called him back into duty so she has to sort things out with her family.” Hannibal said almost care-free. He didn’t really like Meredith’s family. \  
She seemed to be the only sane one in that household.

 

Will half-smiled until he realized what that meant.  
“Hannibal, what if it means the war has progressed?”

 

“Wouldn’t they have made a broadcast about it by now, though? The government would be crazy not to inform us about our lives possibly being in danger…”

“True, but after 2016, I’m pretty sure morals in government ceased to exist so who knows. Do you think something is happening?”

Hannibal scratched his stubble, thinking. “Hmm. Wouldn’t there be a draft? If action were necessary, I’d assume they’d need all the help they could get since the budget cuts took effect.”

“Yeah that’s true. Whatever it is then, I hope everything’s okay. Well, as okay as things could be in the middle of a fricken world war…” 

Will continued eating his French toast.  
“How’s the food?” He asked with his mouth full, making the question sound muffled.

“Delicious as always. But hey you’ve got something on your face.” Hannibal made a gesture and smiled.

Will smudges his face with his hand, only making it worse. All Hannibal could do was shake his head as he leaned over to wipe off the powdered sugar with a goofy smile. Will swipes his finger across Hannibal’s face, creating a line of maple syrup from his nose to his ear.

“You little piece of shit,” Hannibal laughed and wiped his face with a napkin. “Ahh, you’ll be the death of me I swear.”

“So,” Will sighed. “What’s the plan for today?

Hannibal looked at his watch. “It’s almost 10:30 now so, it’s up to you. You pick first.”

Will nodded his head and began to think. He snapped his fingers,  
“ You wanted to cook together, right? We should make dinner tonight.”

“But that’s not until later, what do you want to do right now?” Hannibal asked.

“Well that’s the thing. I figured we could go out and buy the ingredients now, come back and enjoy our day, and then cook together. How’s that sound?” Will asked, excited. 

“That’s a good idea. Get the shopping over with so we have the rest of the day to ourselves? Sure! So what are we getting?”

“I was thinking you could head over to the east side and pick up some wine and vegetables from Alphonse’s market? He has the best items in stock.” Will thought out loud. 

“And what will you get?”

“I’ll get the meat and spices from the butcher. Much better quality than supermarket brands.”

“Wow, you really want to go all out on this, huh?” Hannibal sounded impressed.

“Hell yeah, I do.”

 

That’s one of the main things Hannibal loved about him. When Will has a plan or goal, he’s persistent in seeing it to the end.

 

“Okay then! Put together a list for me and we can be on our way.” Hannibal was excited. In a way it felt to him like he was going on a top-secret mission. 

Will wrote down on a piece of note-pad paper the vegetables he wanted Hannibal to get, along with a suggestion of wines. He folded it and handed it to Hannibal, who was at the front door waiting. 

“Here’s the list, don’t go over budget, and don’t take too long okay?” Will seemed anxious.

“Don’t worry I’ll be back by noon at the latest. Hopefully traffic isn’t too bad on the bridge, but if I’m running late I’ll call you.”  
Hannibal began walking out to his car until Will stopped him and gave him a kiss. “Come back soon so we can go back to bed, okay?”

Hannibal kissed him back and reassured him, “Roger that”. He kissed his lover’s hand and practically skipped to his car.  
Never doubt the efficiency of a man who knows he’ll be getting’ some later on.

 

<< \- November 29th, 2018 – 11:02 A.M. – Hannibal - >>

As he approached the Crimson Isle Bridge, Hannibal felt relieved and almost giddy to see that traffic wasn’t bad at all. 

Luckily he and Will don’t live too far from the bridge, hell, you could see it from the kitchen and living room windows.  
Hannibal crossed the bridge and took notice of a few army trucks parked to the side. There’s usually only one but he didn’t bother to make a big deal of it.

He made his way into town and left his car in a parking garage for easy access later. Across the street was the produce market, so he made his way over.

Hannibal began walking around until he noticed he had a list to stick to.

“Water chestnuts, zucchini, carrots, asparagus, annnnd,” Hannibal read out the contents of the list to himself as he walked down the sidewalk searching for them.  
It was an old school outdoor market owned by a local farm and Hannibal keeps reminding himself to make friends with the owner every time he visits.  
Gotta get those discounts any way you can, healthy food is expensive!

He started placing the produce in a basket and made his way up and down the market. In the background, the sound of laughing children can be heard, as well as the music from a nearby store.

"Excuse me, can you help me find the garlic?" Hannibal asked a woman working there.  
"Sure, dear, they're right over here. Can I help you with anything else on this lovely day?" She asked nicely.

"Ah, it sure is a nice day, isn't it? It's the end of November and yet, hardly a cold breeze all week. Plus, the outdoor shops are still up!" Hannibal replied. It really was unusually warm that day.  
"Mhm.. it's that damn global warming! Hoo but don't get me started on that, I could talk for days." The lady replied. "Well dear you have a good day"

"Thank you, ma'am!" Hannibal chuckled. For an old lady she sure had a lot of energy. What a refreshing sight.

Hannibal began picking out the rest of the ingredients when suddenly a loud bang is heard down the street and-… 

<< \- November 29th, 2018 – 11:16 A.M. – Will - >>

Will called the dogs back inside and went upstairs to get dressed. All he could think about was his husband returning home within the hour, and the fact that they’d spend most of the day in bed.  
He made his way down stairs and finished his now cold cup of coffee. He couldn’t help but look at the bridge and think about Hannibal.

Why was he feeling so restless? It’s pretty much like any other Saturday. They each go out on errands all the time, so why was Will experiencing such anxiety?  
He put his mug in the sink, grabbed his keys, and made his way over to the butcher's.

“Will! Good to see ya. How’s the museum coming along?” Annie, the manager, asked.

“It’s doing pretty well, we got three new pieces last week so things are looking promising. How’s the new husband?”

Annie scoffed and smiled, “He’s as lazy as ever, but at least he’s not jobless. He’s a park ranger over at Plainview Heights.”

Will nodded, “That sounds like a cool job actually. Nature is a fun thing to work with, there’s nothing like fresh air in the morning.”

“I hear ya.” Annie replied. “So what brings you over here, I wonder?”

“Oh right, well I’d like to buy some beef, I was thinking steaks actually. Uhm… how about two t-bone steaks, and a pound of steak tips please.”

“Someone’s hungry! What’s the occasion?” Annie asked as she wrote up the order and send it to the back.  
“Nothing really, Hannibal and I just wanted to cook together. We both live such busy lives we only have one day a week to have some alone time, you know?” Will said sincerely.

“Honey don’t I know it. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been with someone for 1 year, 5 years, or 12 years like you and Hannibal, it’s always nice to do something special once in a while.” Annie replied. “Boy, I envy you. But I’m glad you’re happy.”

“I appreciate that, Annie” Will said with a smile. “Hey I’m going to check out your spices over here, while I wait.”

“Alright, your order should be ready in a few minutes.”

 

Will scanned the spice racks and looked for something that would properly compliment steak and vegetables.  
“Ah! Rosemary. Hannibal is picking up the garlic so this should be enough” Will murmured to himself. 

 

He and Hannibal have that in common; talking to themselves out loud.

 

Will paced around the shop until his order was put together.

“So two slabs of T-bone, and a pound of stake tips. Is that all, hun?” Annie asked.

“This too.” Will placed the container of rosemary on the counter.

“Okie dokie, your total is #34.80. Enjoy your special day, Will!”

“Thanks Annie, have a good one.” Will took his bag and walked out to his car. He got in and sighed. “Alright, time to marinate these bad boys!” He said to himself as he made his way back home.

<< \- November 29th, 2018 – 11:15 A.M. – Hannibal - >>

 

“Thank you, sir. Your total is $25.14 and here’s your receipt. Have a good day!” The cashier said as he handed Hannibal his bags. 

“Thanks, you too.” Hannibal replied. He began to turn the corner on the way to the wine shop when he heard a familiar voice.

“Well look what the cat dragged in. Hannibal how are you?” 

It was a woman’s voice that was impossible to forget. 

Bedelia Du Maurier.

“Ah, Betty how are you?” Hannibal chuckled.

“Please, stop calling me Betty. And I’m well. A bit rattled by that loud bang though.  
Could you believe it was an old antique car? Vehicles today never misfire like that… and at a time like this too…”

“A time like what?” Hannibal asked.

“War. We’re in the midst of war, Hannibal. You should keep your guard up!”

Hannibal waived his hand dismissively. “If there was something to worry about, we’d know by now. Everyone needs to stop worrying so much!”

“Yeah right, I’m keeping my guard up at all times, thank you very much” Bedelia replied, almost scoffing.

Hannibal was getting annoyed already by this conversation...

“Well, like always, it’s been a pleasure talking to you Betty, but I’ve got some errands to do before I return home.  
I hope you understand. Well then, talk to you later!” Hannibal replied as he lightly jogged to the wine shop. 

 

He hatesbeing rude, but he didn’t like Bedelia too much. She was stuck up and materialistic.  
But she was his co-worker so he had to put up with her. Maybe in another life, Hannibal would have the guts to deal with her.

 

“Hmm, so Will said any kind of wine that goes well with steak. Hmm… let’s go with Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, where is it?”

Hannibal paced up and down the aisles until he found what he was looking for. He rang up the bottle, and began making his way back to the parking garage.

He got into his car and as he pulled out of the lot, he saw a large puff of smoke off in the direction opposite the bridge.  
He pulled over and got out, in awe of such a view.

It was beautiful, but along with the blaring sound of emergency sirens it could only mean one thing. 

Aerial attack.

Hannibal ripped his eyes from the dangerously beautiful view of the smoke and without thinking, he began making his way to the bridge. 

He didn’t know how fast he was going, but before Hannibal knew it he was at the start of the bridge within moments. 

Where there were once three army trucks parked at the start of the bridge, there were now five, and they were out of their vehicles with their guns in-hand.  
Hannibal couldn’t make out what one of the soldiers was saying, but he was speaking frantically over walkie-talkie.  
After a moment of back and forth, the soldier looked up to the others and told them what seemed to be an order.

Within seconds all Hannibal could see was a shadow growing over him and the cars in front of him as the bridge began to rise.

“No.” He breathed. "FUCK!"  
“Will! I’ve got to get home!”

He got out of his car and began running towards the soldiers. One of them aimed their rifle at him and warned him to stay back, causing Hannibal to nervously fall back to his car.  
“I’VE GOT TO GO BACK. PLEASE LET ME GO HOME. WHAT’S HAPPENING? IT CAN’T BE WHAT I THINK IT IS…”

"Sir please go back to your car and await further instructions" A soldier insisted.  
But he heard nothing but the emergency sirens echoing throughout the town, and the sound of his racing heart.

“Will…”


End file.
